Viral event Dîner en Blanc returns to New York for its 4th edition on Aug. 25, with 4,500 people expected to be in attendance.
Originally launched in France in 1988, the event now reaches 50 cities on five continents.
Courtesy of Dîner en Blanc
The event’s location is kept secret until the last minute, when revelers, all dressed elegantly in white, converge from different parts of the city, with picnic ware and fare, and tables and chairs, at the appointed spot, a landmark public space. When the trumpet sounds at the end of the evening, diners pack up, litter and all, and vanish into the night, leaving no evidence of the festivities.
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Events in past years have been held in Bryant Park and Lincoln Center.
Courtesy of Dîner en Blanc
“You‘d be surprised how many people you can put on a lawn or in the park,” said Sandy Safi, who runs Dîner en Blanc International. She remembers staring at the space in Bryant Park last year. “When I looked at the lawn in Bryant Park last year, even the day of the event, and even though we’re used to doing this over and over again, we’re staring at the lawn, and folks are arriving, we’re looking at each other and we’re going, ’There’s no way 4,000 people are going to fit on this lawn.” But fit they did.
Dîner en Blanc is famous for inspiring creativity in elaborate setups and outfits (including a wedding this year in British Columbia)—and of all the participating cities, New York is especially pronounced in originality, Safi said.
“It’s an opportunity for a creative outlet for people who are busy and always doing the work thing, and just run from work to subway to whatever, whoever-I’m-supposed-to-meet,” she added.
Courtesy of Dîner en Blanc
This year, chef Todd English curates a menu in association with Great Performances for diners who choose to purchase meals.
For more information, visit newyork.dinerenblanc.info
